Page 117 of Enchanted Kingdom
“Oh.” I paused. “Okay then.”
I took a seat and began shuffling the cards.
Owen said quietly, “So we can’t go to Nerede as often. We can still figure out a way to get through the days. Don’t let this castle drown you, Jorah. I’ll help you, but you have to let me.”
I swallowed hard and began dealing the cards. “Okay.”
CHAPTER33
The next morning I had Silvia find me a gray day dress. It still wasn’t as boring as my usual day dresses at home, but it made me feel as if I was at home. I even had Silvia do my hair up in a bun. For whatever reason, I just felt the need to spite everyone and remind them exactly where I came from at every turn today.
Owen and I left food for the wolf and then I went back to my room. I read for a while, looked out the window for a while, and picked at my lunch. I was bored. Not even a truffle could fix my mood.
There was a knock at my door.
“Yes?”
“Would you like to go for a walk in the gardens?” Keir asked cautiously with only his head peeking in the door to my room. Like he was expecting me to say no or possibly even slam the door in his face.
I looked at the comfy chair that had been delivered that morning. A smaller version of the one that had been in my old room because the oversized one would not have fit between my bed and the window. It sat right in front of the window in my new room. Another of his gifts.
“Uhh, sure.”
We were relatively quiet while we headed down the four sets of stairs and toward the doors where Prince Krewan had chastised me a few weeks ago.
Once the sun hit my face, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Fall had finally arrived. And though the castle was driving me to madness, there was nothing like breathing in the first crisp breath of fall.
We began walking along the trail in the gardens, and I took special care to note the flowers still in bloom. I saw some red flowers I hadn’t ever seen before. They were so deeply red they almost looked black. And they weregorgeous. They would all soon be gone as fall continued moving on in as it led our way into winter. The red flowers vined upwards toward the sun as if knowing it. As if trying to escape.
“Do you want me to sneak you into Nerede regardless of what my brother says?” Keir asked quietly.
Thinking he must be joking, I looked to his face only to find him serious. “You would do that?”
He stopped and let out a breath that made his chest fall. “I would.” He paused. “Krew isn’t quite the same anymore. What happened messed him up.”
I quickly glanced around us to make sure no one was looking. “You mean after Cessa?” I whispered.
He nodded. “Yes. He was a lot more fun before. And this whole Assemblage business has been preying on his anxieties and memories, one just feeding the other. I think he sees every single consort, mine or his, as another potential Cessa he needs to protect.”
I thought about that a moment. “Makes sense.” I wasn’t sure how the two of them expected to protect us all though. Not only from the king, but also from each other. It was a miracle Aiyana hadn’t found a way to off me yet.
He reached for my hand and immediately brought it up to brush a gentle kiss upon it. “But I will not allow that to happen to you. Krew and I are both smarter and stronger than we were back then.”
I didn’t want to mention that the king had already cornered me twice even with the both of them being stronger and now bonded.
He gestured with his head toward a bench, and we walked hand in hand toward it. “I’m failing you.”
Not having expected him to say that, I spun toward him only to notice how tired he looked. He was so good at all things prince that sometimes I forgot how exhausted he must be. The weight he was constantly carrying on his shoulders had to be getting to him. “How so?”
He tipped his head back to the sky. “I am trying to do my best to do my duty to my country. To find a woman I adore, to find possibly the future queen. But every time someone mentions another woman from my consort, and I have to watch you physically look wounded, it kills me a little more each time.”
I had no idea what to say. I had seen him kiss Delaney. How was it possible to not feel hurt in that situation? Duty to the country considered.
“All I know is that at the end of the day, you are the one I wish to speak to and check in with. And yes, I need to continue dating the others, but I need to know and should have asked a while ago, do you evenwantthis life, Jorah?”
I couldn’t find words. “Do I—do I wish to becomequeen, you mean?” I finally croaked out.
He nodded.
